{"id":537364,"date":"2025-10-30T10:11:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T10:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/537364\/"},"modified":"2025-10-30T10:11:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T10:11:17","slug":"pippa-middletons-farm-bans-rabbit-petting-sessions-after-welfare-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/537364\/","title":{"rendered":"Pippa Middleton\u2019s farm bans rabbit petting sessions after welfare concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pippa Middleton and James Matthews’ Bucklebury Farm in Berkshire has become the first UK farm to act on animal welfare concerns raised by The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RAWF).<\/p>\n

The charity approached 573 farms requesting enhanced protection measures for animals, but only the farm owned by Pippa and Mr Matthews responded with immediate changes.<\/p>\n

The couple’s 72-acre property has ceased all handling sessions involving its nine rabbits, as well as guinea pigs and young goats.<\/p>\n

This marks a significant shift from previous practices at the farm, which had been a regular destination for Princess Kate and Prince George.<\/p>\n

\"Pippa<\/p>\n

Pippa Middleton\u2019s farm bans rabbit petting sessions after welfare concerns<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

PA<\/p>\n

The RAWF praised the farm’s swift response on social media, highlighting their decision to “phase out pat-a-pet sessions and create a more welfare-conscious experience”.<\/p>\n

The farm has invested in new enclosures for its rabbits, allowing the animals to decide whether they want to interact with visitors.<\/p>\n

This represents a fundamental shift in approach, placing animal choice at the centre of the visitor experience.<\/p>\n

Educational efforts now focus on helping guests understand animal behaviour better.<\/p>\n

\"BuckleburyPippa and James Matthews moved to Bucklebury Farm in 2022 | INSTAGRAM \/ BUCKLEBURY FARM<\/p>\n

The farm particularly emphasises that motionless rabbits are typically experiencing fear rather than contentment from human contact, correcting a common misconception.<\/p>\n

These modifications extend beyond rabbits to include guinea pigs and young goats, ensuring consistent welfare standards across all small animals at the site.<\/p>\n

The changes mean visitors can no longer hold any of these creatures, marking a complete departure from traditional farm park practices.<\/p>\n

Bucklebury Farm will collaborate with RAWF to establish new Farm Park Welfare Standards, creating guidelines for animal protection across the industry.<\/p>\n

\"PippaPippa Middleton and Kate are two years apart in age | <\/p>\n

GETTY<\/p>\n

This initiative aims to transform how farm parks and private rabbit owners approach animal care.<\/p>\n

Oliver Shute, Managing Director of Bucklebury Farm, emphasised the educational aspect of these changes: “It’s not just about visitors seeing animals, it’s about showing what proper welfare looks like.<\/p>\n

“Rabbits are often misunderstood and kept in spaces that don’t meet their needs, so we’re proud to set an example that puts their wellbeing first.”<\/p>\n

The new standards will address widespread misconceptions about animal handling and housing requirements.<\/p>\n

\"BuckleburyJames Matthews previously purchased the 72-acre Bucklebury Park Farm | PA<\/p>\n

The partnership between Bucklebury Farm and RAWF represents a pioneering effort to reform visitor attractions involving small animals across Britain.<\/p>\n

Mr Matthews and his wife acquired the Berkshire property for \u00a31.5million in 2020, transforming it into a multifaceted rural enterprise.<\/p>\n

The estate encompasses a 44-acre deer park, children’s play facilities, office spaces and a caf\u00e9, alongside rustic accommodation options featuring wood-burning stoves without modern amenities like electricity or internet access.<\/p>\n

The farm holds particular significance for the Royal Family, sitting close to the Middleton family residence in Berkshire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pippa Middleton and James Matthews’ Bucklebury Farm in Berkshire has become the first UK farm to act on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":537365,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3940],"tags":[4080,77,9320,5105,512,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-537364","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celebrities","8":"tag-celebrities","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-pippa-middleton","11":"tag-royal","12":"tag-sgg","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115462582054161064","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/537364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=537364"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/537364\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/537365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=537364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=537364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=537364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}